5 TIPS FOR STAYING MENTALLY HEALTHY AT WORK
5 TIPS FOR STAYING MENTALLY HEALTHY AT WORK
No matter what your line of work, there are going to be good days and bad. Stressful times and easy rides. But sometimes, especially when you are struggling with a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression, facing the working day can take every piece of strength.
At the end of last year, I started a new job. I did so during a period of intense anxiety in my personal life. Starting a fulltime position in a multinational company, being away from my kids and having tons of new responsibilities was causing me to neglect my mental health. My anxiety escalated so severely that my heart rate would rise to 145bpm as I walked through the office doors. I’d sweat profusely in meetings and started panicking about joining conference calls. Not great when you’re a manager!
I didn’t feel like I could tell anyone what I was experiencing because I was new and still trying to make a good impression. I had to keep my high-performing anxiety under wraps.
Sometimes people ask, “if you had to give yourself advice about your mental health what would you say?”
Here are the 5 tips I’d suggest for staying mentally healthy at work.
TALK TO YOUR SUPERVISOR ABOUT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS
The hardest step comes first, but it’s the most important to get the support you need. Discussing mental health in the workplace can feel awkward and even embarrassing. Many people feel like they don’t want their managers or colleagues to know because it might make them appear weak. Being open about your mental health is one of the bravest things you can do. You can also do it confidentially by arranging to speak with your management and HR.
TAKE A LUNCH BREAK
Depending on your line of work, taking a lunch break might not always be a mandatory requirement. Often people eat lunch at their desks whilst still staring at the laptop or work right through lunch to meet deadlines, look good in front of management or just because they have taken on too much. STOP! You need to take a break to re-centre yourself. If you can get out of the environment you’re in for 30 minutes or even an hour, DO IT! Go for a walk, get fresh air, enjoy your sandwich.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO PUSH BACK
It’s easy to take on more than you should, whether you’re trying to make the right impression, you’re worried about getting a bonus or you need to meet a target. But when you’re struggling through a difficult period with your mental health, don’t take on more than you can realistically manage. It’s ok to push back. Talk openly to your supervisor about your work loads and set realistic expectations for when you can get things completed.
RE-PRIORITISE
Consider all the aspects of your life. Your family, your health, your work. If you’re pushing yourself so hard at work that your mental health is failing, you need to re-prioritise. Work is important. It allows us to nurture and shelter our families. But YOU are more important than your work. Your family needs YOU and that means body and mind. Work provides a job, for which there are thousands of others. You only have one mind. Prioritise that and your family over your work.
RECOGNISE AND ACT ON SPIRALLING SYMPTOMS
If you have previously been diagnosed with a mental health condition, you might be aware of what your relapse symptoms are. But sometimes we ignore the symptoms when they first start. Have you noticed that you’re excessively tired? Does getting up for work in the morning fill you with dread? Are you on edge from the moment you walk through the office doors? Consider the smaller symptoms like your heart rate, breathing, thinking patterns and mood. If you are noticing changes in these areas, act on it. See your doctor, speak to your supervisor, but don’t let your mental health spiral out of control.
This article was written by Nikki, a mental health writer. Check out her Digital Butterfly blog here.